Rishi Sharma Raj

Dr. Rishi S. Raj passed away on January 22, 2023 surrounded by his family and loved ones. He was born in Moga (Punjab) India on September 18, 1945 to the late Thakur Das Sharma (father) and late Krishna Sharma (mother).

He was married to the late Dr. Swadesh Sharma Raj for 25 years and together they had two children, Rashmi and Vishwa. They raised their family in Emerson, NJ, where Dr. Raj continued to reside with his daughter Rashmi and granddaughter Samanya, until his passing.

Raised in Moga, Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana India, Rishi received his B.Sc. with honors in Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics from Government College Ludhiana (Punjab) 1960-1964. In 1965, he co-authored his first book, Introductory Chemistry while he served as lecturer in Chemistry at Mehrchand Polytechnic in Jallander, India. From 1965-1969, he received B.S. and M.S. Mechanical Engineering with honors and a M.A. in Russian language from People’s Friendship University of Russia (in Moscow). Traveling back to India in 1969, Rishi worked in the National Aeronautical Laboratory (Bangalore) in the propulsion division as a scientist designing compressor test rig for testing subsonic, transonic and supersonic compressor stages. Pursuing his passion for science and engineering, he received his PhD from Penn State University in Aerospace Engineering. Upon graduating in 1974 he began his career as a professor at City College of New York (CCNY) in the Mechanical Engineering Department teaching several courses including Thermo-filled systems and analysis and Turbomachinery.

Dr. Raj has had a major influence and impact throughout the trajectory of his academic career. His rise from Assistant to Full Professor took only 9 years, during which time he was named Director of the Turbomachinery Laboratory. In addition to his departmental roles, Professor Raj also spent time serving as Associate Dean of Administration for the School of Engineering, during which time he helped to manage its $65 million renovation, and Chair of the Faculty Senate for 9 years. His stewardship to CCNY was immeasurable, serving on multiple committees for the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the entire college. As a mentor, he helped to support five doctoral students, seven masters’ students, and countless undergraduates interested in pursuing careers in engineering. During his tenure, he was able to secure over $400,000 in charitable gifts to support education and $400,000 in grant funding for research activities. From a technical perspective, Dr. Raj translated four papers from Russian to English, received fourteen peer-reviewed invitations to present at national and international conferences, and was responsible for a collective forty-six manuscript, textbook, and oral paper presentations including discovering the Absolute Scale of Intelligence in mathematical form.

In addition to his work at CCNY, Dr. Raj served many important roles as a consultant for industry and government, working with Curtiss Wright, General Electric, Teledyne and the United Nations. Perhaps the work for which he was most proud was consultation with US government organizations, including the US Department of Energy, NASA, the U.S. Army, and the Naval War College where he researched submarine sound during missile launch. For his work, Rishi received commendations from the Naval War College, and a US Congressional Award for Service from the Navy. He volunteered his time extensively for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, where he organized and chaired several technical sessions. In addition, he was a peer-reviewer for multiple academic journals and federal grant funding agencies, founding editorial board member for the International Journal of Turbo and Jet Engines, and recipient of the Research Associateship from the National Academy of Sciences. As founder and president for the Society of Indian Academics in American (SIAA), Professor Raj helped to develop an extensive support network for academicians of Indian descent. Towards the end of his career, he focused on areas including neuroscience, philosophy, and metaphysics, and prepared or published four textbooks with five national and international presentations.

As a member of the community, Dr. Raj served several important roles. In Emerson, he was a member of the Board of Trustees for the Public Library, founded the Science Fund for Emerson Jr./Sr. High School, and created the first soccer league in Emerson to support elementary and middle school students. In addition, he was extremely active in the Emerson Republican Club, where he served as Treasurer, Vice-President, and President. For his work he received the Borough of Emerson Service & Achievement Award. He also participated in activities at the state level to advance engineering initiatives, including the NJ State Board of Engineers and NJ State Representative to review accreditation for collegiate and university schools of engineering. He was also a founding member of the Arya Samaj of Bergen County.

Dr. Raj is survived by his daughter Rashmi and granddaughter Samanya, son Vishwa, daughter-in-law Danielle, and granddaughter Asha.

A public visitation and Hindu religious service will be held on Saturday, January 28 at the Becker Funeral Home, 219 Kinderkamack Road, Westwood, NJ starting at 5 PM (with religious service and remembrance from 5:30 to 7 PM) Continued viewing will be made available after 7 - 8 PM. Additional public visitation will be scheduled on Sunday, January 29 from 11:30 AM to noon at the Rosedale Cemetery & Crematory, 408 Orange Road, Montclair, NJ with the cremation viewing at noon reserved for family.

A live stream of the Hindu religious service and remembrance will be made available prior to the ceremony.